The field of the present invention is catalytic systems.
The invention is particularly concerned with synthesizing alpha, omega-C.sub.4 through C.sub.20 alkenols having purities in excess of 85%.
The state of the art of the preparation of pure alpha, omega-C.sub.6 to C.sub.20 -alkenols may be ascertained by reference to British Pat. Nos. 1,355,704 and 1,355,705 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,343, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In order to synthesize alpha, omega-C.sub.4 through C.sub.20 alkenols with purities in excess of 85% by catalytically dehydrating the corresponding alpha, omega-C.sub.4 through C.sub.20 diols, neutral, simple, or mixed pyrophosphates of lithium, sodium, strontium or barium or mixtures of these compounds are employed as catalysts in the method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,343. This method suffers from the drawback on the one hand that there is formation of significant proportions of alkanols and, on the other hand, that the formation of other by-products increases sensibly when the conversions exceed 80% and appreciably when they are beyond 90% as disclosed at column 3, lines 63 through 65 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,343. Accordingly, there is a need to find a process which, besides the reduction in the alkanol content also exhibits an adequately high selectivity at conversion in excess of 90%.